Automatic call distributors (ACDs) are specialized systems designed to match incoming requests for service, for example a telephone call or an e-mail, with a resource that is able to provide that service, for example a human contact center agent. ACDs generally perform one or more of the following functions: (i) recognize and answer incoming calls; (ii) review database(s) for instructions on what to do with a particular call; (iii) using these instructions, identify an appropriate agent and queue the call, often times providing a prerecorded message; and (iv) connect the call to an agent as soon as the agent is available.
Thus, when no agent is available to assist a caller, callers must wait in a queue until any of the agents finishes with its current caller. Consequently, a large number of callers that have very simple inquiries or requests may be forced to wait in the queue behind a small number of callers with time-intensive inquiries. This results in wasted time for the queued callers and consumes telecommunication resources on the ACD system.